So, Who Are The Winners From The Drawn 2010 Grand Final?

Following a dramatic draw between St Kilda and Collingwood in the AFL 2010 Grand Final yesterday I'd like to reflect on who the winners and losers might be with that particular outcome and a replay on the cards.

Winners
Certainly not Collingwood or St Kilda. Not on the day anyway.
St Kilda's Lenny Hayes for his best-on-ground performance which won him the Norm Smith Medal.
Collingwood and St Kilda players who get to play in another grand final.
Players who missed the grand final but will get a chance to play in the replay. And there will be a couple of them perhaps on each team.
100,000 more spectators who get to witness the 2010 AFL Grand Final.
Caterers, the MCC and all the businesses hosting functions catering to football suppporters.
Hotels and airlines who'll be able to charge ridiculous prices for two weekends in a row.
The AFL's coffers - surely it will add close to $10m to the bottom line.
Channel 7 who will have to provide another coverage of the grand final.
Sports memorabilia outlets who will have twice as much material for sale.
The tote and betting agencies who get to run another betting competition on the outcome of the match.

Losers
A great percentage of the 100,000 spectators who won't be able to obtain a ticket to the replay and actually see who is crowned the premier.
Collingwood (fingers crossed).
People, including the players, who've made plans to travel following the grand final and have to rearrange everything which will probably involve pernalty payments to the airlines.
Players who didn't perform well or were injured who miss out on the replay, which will go to extra time if required, and miss out on the glory of a win.
Players who get an extra pay packet. By-the-way, what does this mean in regards to the AFL salary cap if additional match payments have to be made?
Those punters who had an each way bet on the match and could only lose if there was a draw - me included.

Footy Prediction - Malthouse to go

I'll make a bold prediction. Even though Eddie Everywhere, alias Eddie Maguire, has put a succession plan in place to relieve Mick Malthouse of his coaching duties at Collingwood at the end of the 2010 season and be replaced by former captain Nathan Buckley, I don't think that that is going to happen.

My prediction is that 5th placed Adelaide Crows will beat 4th placed Collingwood tonight in the 2nd Semi Final and, the two successive finals losses to Collingwood, fielding one of the strongest teams for years for the club, will Lead to Mick Malthouse quitting as coach. Why would you suffer the ignomy of going out of the finals in straight sets and then coach one more year before being relieved of your duties as coach? Nup, I think this is the end of Mick Malthouse as Collingwood's coach.

Something that will grate with Malthouse is the fact that he coached the West Coast Eagles to two premierships and, after switching to the Magpies hasn't been able to snatch one premiership, although Collingwood rarely travels outside of Melbourne to play, and it is widely accepted that they have just about the easiest draw of any team in the national competition. That will go down as a mark of failure, I think.

Big prediction, eh?

The Pot Calling The Kettle Black

The season proper hasn't started yet and already we've seen some biffo in Aussie Rules football. The funny part is that it was two teammates that hit the headlines. The really funny part is that they were from the Carlton Football Club. The hilarious part is that David Rhys-Jones said the guy dealing out the biffo, Setanta O'hAilpin, was a disgrace. Coming from a man who visited the tribunal on charge a record number of time, 25, and who received a suspension of two years at the age of 41 after assaulting an opponent and leaving him with multiple fractures, that's a bit rich.

I dunno what lead to the biffo and then the kick in the bum but it was only Cameron Cloke, himself a disgraced footballer delisted from Collingwood after speeding at 144 km/h in a 100 zone whilst his club was receiving sponsorship from the Transport Accident Commission and subsequently costing them a $10,000 fine, and he probably deserved it.

And it is only Carlton.

Anzac Day 2008

Australia's day of national remembrance is held on the 25th of April each year. It represents the day, figuratively speaking, that Australia (and New Zealand) became a national as it was the first time, in 1915, that it had gone to war as its own country and not for Britain. The fact that the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) were still commanded by inept British leaders is beside the fact.

Every year I pay my respects for those that fought to maintain the beliefs and freedoms that I now use. The day starts with a pre-dawn visit to the State War Memorial in Kings Park. It's the only day, other than Christmas Day, where so many people get up so early. Prior to 6am we are shown footage and provided with commentary on a battle that Australian and other allies fought in. At six the formal ceremony begins with wreath laying and a speech by a prominent military officer. It was Commodore Shandler this year, I believe. There was no cannon firing this year but we were treated to a flyover by a Roulette and a formation of biplanes.

Kings Park War Memorial Cenotaph in the hour before dawn.

Perth skyline from Kings Park.

Names of the fallen below the Cenotaph.

Flags at half mast as a sign of respect for the fallen.

Biplane flyover.

Cenotaph inscription.

Flame of Remembrance - Let Silent Contemplation be your Offering.

Large crowd in attendance - estimated at 40,000.

THE ODE

They shall grow not old
as we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them
nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
we will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

The playing of the Last Post is more spine-tingling than watching any horror movie (Miky and I watched "The Eye" from Hong Kong last night).

Following the dawn service I did my fruit and veg shopping before returning home to have a nice hot breakfast. Even made breakfast in bed for the missus - Anzac Day fills me with pride and some adrenalin. She looks after me every day so it is the least I can do. After brekkie the boy and I attended the Anzac Day Parade in Perth. I'm very glad that he was happy to go and enjoyed himself. There were some old diggers marching and it was a lovely day.

I found it rather ironic that, at this stage, this is the second wettest April on record, being only 3mm short of the record, and with four days with rain forecast to finish off the month, that it didn't rain. It is traditional for it to rain on Anzac Day.


Digger showing us how to have a shave digger-style

So many campaign medals - poor digger can't stand up straight.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade a.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade b.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade Royal Australian Engineers Flag.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade Royal Australian Engineers Tunnel Rats Vietnam Flag.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade c.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade Army Band.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade Korea+ & S.E. Asia Vets Association Flag.

Anzac Day 2008 Parade Normany Veterans Flag.

Anzac House - the place to be to catch up with your mates.

There certainly weren't too many survivors from the Normandy D-Day Landings that marched. Numbers were thin amongst the over 80s. It is sad to see their numbers dwindling. The march was almost as disorganised as the Gallipoli landing as you were unable to tell which line was going to march and the diggers themselves didn't seem to know either.

Just to round off a great day after preparing a roast vegetable lunch (haven't I been a good boy today?) I get to sit down and watch Essendon play Collingwood in the traditional Anzac Day blockbuster at the MCG. Now, I was thinking at six o'clock this morning when eight magpies landed on the Cenotaph at War Memorial and started warbling that that might be an omen for the match. The were already "crowing" about winning it. And so it turned out. To the tune of 73 points no less. Ruined a good day of paying respects for those that have sacrificed so much for our way of life. And the dishing out has begun already. And I so deserve it.

No Drinking Problem At Collingwood?

I laughed when I read that Eddie Maguire, President of the Collingwood Football Club and boss of Channel 9, otherwise known as Eddie Everywhere, says that there is no unhealthy drinking culture at Collingwood. I don't know what is healthy about a 19 year old player being charged with drink driving. And it's not the first incident. This has probably cost the club $1 million in sponsorship from the Transport Accident Commission - TAC.

You're a joke Eddie and so is your team. Pull your head out of the sand, or your arse, wherever you've put it. I wonder how the sponsorship from Emirates is holding up? I wouldn't have thought that they'd have a bright view of the drinking problems considering the view of alcohol consumption in that region of the world.